Ride the Cyclone

book, music and lyrics by
Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell
directed and choreographed
by Rachel Rockwell

New Work Partner

Rachel Rockwell

Director / Choreographer

Rachel Rockwell returns to Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where her directing credits include: Ride the Cyclone (Jeff Award for Best Director), The Little Mermaid, Shrek the Musical, Beauty and the Beast, The Adventures of Pinocchio, The Emperor’s New Clothes and Short Shakespeare! productions of Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew. Ride the Cyclone premiered off Broadway in 2016 at MCC, and was named to the Best Theatre of 2016 list by The New York Times. Rockwell also directed October Sky at the Old Globe, which won the Craig Noel Award for Best Musical, and the world premiere of Diary of a Wimpy Kid for the Children’s Theatre Company (Minneapolis). Other Chicago directing/choreography credits include: Brigadoon (Jeff Award - Best Musical and Best Choreography, Goodman Theatre); Billy Elliot (Jeff Award for Best Choreography), Ragtime (Jeff Award - Best Musical and Best Director), West Side Story, Oliver!, Sweeney Todd, The Sound of Music, Miss Saigon – all Jeff nominated for Best Musical and Best Director at Drury Lane Theatre; Shout! (Jeff Award nomination - Best Revue), 42nd Street (Jeff Award nomination - Best Director and Best Musical), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Jeff Award nomination - Best Musical), all at Marriott Theatre; Mary Poppins (Jeff nomination –Best Musical and Best Director), In the Heights, The Music Man, Annie, Hair (Paramount Theatre); and Enron (Jeff nomination - Best Play, Midsize Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company). In 2012 Ms. Rockwell was named Chicagoan of the Year in Theatre by the Chicago Tribune.